In the Company of Cowards
by OnceUponATimeLove
Summary: Belle has left Rum because of his deception. She works in the library, giving information to anyone who has mind to ask, when a mysterious woman comes in and demands to know where Bae is, Belle realizes something that she refused to allow herself to realize. She loves Rumpelstiltskin no matter what and she isnt going to let anyone hurt him. ONESHOT! Leans to the dark side of T!


**A/N: So in this story Rum got Bae back! But thats just a minor part:) Read it, like it, then LOOOVE it! Enjoy!**

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Devastated. That is a good word the describe her feelings when she saw him dabbling again in magic.

Heartbroken. When she realized he wasn't going to change, that he still needed his powers to feel strong.

Terrified. That she would lose him forever.

She never wanted to be without him, you see, their hearts were irrevocably connected. He was her everything, her whole heart belonged to him. She loved, loves, him so much that she can never endorse his choices, she will never let him believe that she is okay with his lies and murder and evil ways. That is all part of her being brave.

So, she broke up with him for using magic for evil, even as her own heart was crumbling in her chest.

When he told her the truth, she felt better, for it was the only thing she wanted from him, but she still was not ready to fully forgive him for not trusting her enough, even after all that they had been through.

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Belle eventually became a go to person for information in Storybrooke. She now knows everyone and everyone knows her, she helped reunite families and nothing gives her more joy..or at the very least, takes her mind off of the one thing that really does give her joy when he isn't being a huge pain in the ass that is.

She spends nearly all of her time in the library, usually reading, or helping people who come through her doors. Today, a woman she has never seen before wanders into her library. The woman has long curly dark hair. A confident, yet secretive gait. And a question.

"I hear that you are the Dark One's Mistress." Belle's face flushed red.

"No, actually, I am Belle, I am no longer Rumplestiltskin's anything. He is my friend." She replies honestly.

"Ah. Well. This is a library, a place you come for information." The woman's sharp gaze looks right through her.

"Yes?"

"Do you know of a young boy named Baelfire?" Belle stiffens.

"Who are you?" She asks softly.

"My name is Milah." Says the woman, "And I would like to know any information you have on my son."

Fire burns inside Belle. She stands, eyes flashing, and straightens to her full height.

"I think you should leave now." She says coldly.

"Oh nay nay. You know the information I seek and you will tell me where he is. It is as simple as that."

"No I wont." Belle says. She walks around her desk, stalking up to the woman before her. This was personal now. He may have been a coward. He may have lied to her, he may have spoken in half-truths and riddles. But he loves her, and he loves his son.

He told her the story of Milah, when they had hamburgers for the first time at Grannies. She knows that this woman before her broke his heart, left him, left their child.

Belle hates her for it.

"What do you mean you wont?" Milah asks.

"If you wanted your son you never would have left him. If you cared you would have stayed. So don't you dare come in here and tell me to give you any information about either of them. Now get out of my library and don't you ever come back here, and don't you ever bother Rumpelstiltskin or HIS son again do you understand me? Now go. " She points towards the door and Milah stands where she is and stares at her wide eyed and surprised. The woman smiles grimly.

"I hope you and the devil are really very happy together." She says with a little bit of snark and a whole lot of attitude. She turns and stalks away pausing at the door and turning slightly. "I will have my son back." She says.

I wouldn't bet on it." Belle mutters under her breath as the woman left the library.

She makes her way shakily back to her desk and sits there for a moment. She is surprised at herself. She has never spoken to anyone that way before. And she likes it, she likes it a lot. She feels brave and powerful and-

-How dare that woman just waltz in here and say she will take what she wants? Bae is all that he has left and that woman wants to take him away.

Over Belle's dead body.

Oh how Belle loves that man, the poor poor man who no one else knows how to love.

He lost everything.

Even her.

No. she can't take it any longer. She will love him until her heart stops beating, and every moment that it beats it beats for him. The time they have been apart has been draining, like she can't breathe because she is separated from her lungs.

Her stomach hurts and her heart hurts and her eyes are prickled with tears. She stands up quickly; knocking over her chair and hurriedly locking up and leaving the library.

It was raining, of course it was raining, and her breath comes in pants and her feet pound on the concrete. Her dress sticks to her skin and her hair is plastered to her face. She knows where she is going, and she knows it was not what she planned but right now she doesn't give a damn. His shop is still open. It doesn't close for an hour.

The dim light inside shone from a block away, it was hope and it was the burning of passion and love for the man inside that fueled her on.

She barely pauses to open the door and the abrupt jingling of the bell causes Rum to turn around just in time for Belle to throw her arms around him.

He catches her. And he holds on tight.

"Belle?" He asks bewildered.

"Rum! I am so sorry. I- I-" She broke off and starts sobbing, her body heaving as he holds her as tight as he can. All her strength has abandoned her, she is exhausted and scared and above all she is sad because she is in love with a man who thinks he is a monster and she has no idea on this earth how to save him.

"Shhh," He whispers, his hands tangling and stroking her hair. "Shhhh, Belle, my love, its okay." She slowly begins to sink to the floor and he goes with her, they end up in a heap behind the desk. She is still crying, and he pulls her into his lap, keeping her safe in his arms, and tries not to cry himself.

He has no idea what caused her pain and he has no idea how to help her.

Well, he knows that even though she wont wish him to he will make whoever did this to her pay.

She finally quiets.

"Rum." She gasps.

"Shhh, I've got you." he murmurs, kissing her hair. "What happened to you?"

So she tells him. She tells him about Milah, and about what she said. She tells him how she felt. She begins to cry again as she tells him that being away from him like this was like missing her soul. Like she couldn't breathe and that Oh! she loved him, even if he was a coward, because she was one too and it no longer mattered because she understands.

He grabs her face and stops her next words with a kiss. She responds enthusiastically and threads her fingers through his hair. Their lips move together desperately, relearning the shape of each other. They finally break apart to breathe, and Rum leans his forehead against Belle's.

He takes a deep breath, looking deep into her blue eyes. Finally he stands up and reaches a hand down to her.

"Let's go home." He says simply. she takes his hand and stands, disheveled, and to Rum, she has never looked more beautiful.

"Where is Bae?" She asks, worried, as he leads her out the door.

"At the Charming's with Henry." He says, pulling her close and kissing her again, hard and wanting. When he finally pulls away she whispers "Lets go home."

They barely make it through the front door before clothes start flying off.

They finally end up in his bed, their bed now, Belle leaning against the pillows. She reaches her arms up to him.

"Rumpelstiltskin." She murmurs as he lays down with her, burying his face in her neck and wrapping his arms around her waist.

She runs her hands through his hair and he kisses her neck.

"I love you." She says.

"I love you." He says.

He runs his hands up over her bare waist, raising himself over her so that he can kiss her again. She sighs, and smiles up at him as he pulls away.

"I want you." She says simply.

Well, be it not him who refuses her anything ever again.

The next morning Belle wakes up to sunlight in her face and warm breath on the back of her neck. She shivers happily and presses her body back against his, relishing the close intimacy of every inch of their bare bodies pressed together. She knows he was awake when he presses a soft kiss on to her bare shoulder.

"Good morning." He murmurs hoarsely, his accent standing put sharply. He moves down her shoulder kissing her again.

"Mmm, G'morning." She replies. He nuzzles his face into the cusp of her shoulder and she sighs, smiling and surrendering to his touch.

She knows that she gave in to her heart, but what else is she to do? What else could be braver? She can keep him safe.

He is hers now.

And she will keep him.

Forever.

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**A/N: So SCREW MILAH! I stinking hated that womans guts! golly dang! I wanted to open a can of whoop-booty on her! Gah! Anyhoo, i hope you enjoyed please review!**


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